80 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1954 



McCormick, to work with Museum personnel in preparing the Excali- 

 hur-III for exhibition. That project included dismantling and 

 storing the Polar Star. The fabric on the Eaglet glider, which in 

 1930 was piloted by Frank Hawks from Los Angeles to New York 

 City, had deteriorated so badly that re-covering was needed. This 

 was expertly accomplished by Butler Aviation and financed by the 

 Texas Co., the original sponsors and donors of this famous glider. 

 The Pratt & Whitney Engine Division of United Aircraft Corpora- 

 tion assigned their public relations head, Kenneth Koyen, and one 

 of their technical experts, Harvey Lippincott, to assist in improving 

 the display of their Wasp No. 1 engine of 1925 and the Wasp Major 

 engine used on the nonstop world flight of the Air Force Lucky Lady 

 B-50 bomber in 1949. Assistance from this corporation included the 

 design and construction of a special stand for the latter engine. 



Additions to the group of photographs and specimens illustrating 

 the awards of the Collier Trophy have, together with better labeling, 

 improved that exhibit; while the procurement of other famous tro- 

 phies has added to the attractiveness and significance of the trophy 

 display. By relocating a group of large models of current transport 

 airplanes, several guided missiles, a display on the German V-1 Buzz 

 Bomb of World War II, and several of the trophies, noteworthy 

 improvements were made in the general appearance of Aeronautical 

 Hall ; and an exhibit associated with Wiley Post and his famous world 

 and stratosphere flights was moved and renovated to form a companion 

 case adjacent to his Sperry robot pilot. A number of the airplanes 

 including the Curtiss "Jenny," Fokker D-7, Loening Amphibian, 

 the hull of the NC-4, and the cockpit of the World War II fighter 

 Eepublic F-84, received more than the usual requirement of mainte- 

 nance. 



STORAGE 



At the Museum's Park Ridge, 111., storage facility more than a third 

 of the fiscal year was spent in moving the storage material in compli- 

 ance with requirements of the Air Force, which maintains administra- 

 tive and flight operations at that airport. Each of these moves in- 

 volved the repeated handling of several hundred items, including large 

 and heavy aircraft boxes, while the moves from Building T-7 to 

 Building T-6, and within T-6, required each time the reestablishing 

 of the office area, shop equipment and supplies, and all the many serv- 

 ice connections needed to operate the tools, cleaning equipment, and 

 preservation gear. 



Despite these delays the personnel at Park Ridge, when finally able 

 to resume the normal operations of the storage facility, shipped to 

 Suitland, ]\Id., 21 aircraft involving 38 boxes, many of which had to 

 be repaired before shipment because of damage sustained by long out- 



